Fence-stay



(No Model.)

0. OHMART.

FENCE STAY.

No. 571,683. Patented Nov. 17, 1896.

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UNITED STATES CIIARL 1S OIIMART, OF GIRARD, ILLINOIS.

FENCE-STAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 571,683, dated November 17, 1896. Application filed August 9, 189B- 38 a NO- 603,268. (No model.)

To (all 1072,0711, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES OHMART, a citizen of the United States,residing at Girard, in the county of Macoupin and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Fence- Stay, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to fences, and particularly to a stay for connecting wire runners; and the object in view is to provide a simple and eiiicient construction of stay and means for connecting the same with the runners whereby the runners are allowed movement toward and from each other without twisting or distorting the stay and without affect: ing the coupling of the stay to the runners.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear in the following description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view of a portion of a fence, showin g a stay constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail view in perspective of the locker connection between the stay and each intermediate runner. Fig. 3 is a side view of the same. Fig. 4 is a detail view of one end of a stay-section.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the dra wings.

1 designates the runners connected by a sectional stay 2, of which the extremities are looped around the upper and lower or terminal runners and are fastened by means of light-wire ties 3. A section of the stay is arranged between each two contiguous runners, and the contiguous extremities of adjoining sections of the stay are interlocked to allow independent longitudinal movement of either section without aifecting the engagement thereof with the runner. In order to accomplish this interlocking engagement of the adjoining sections of the stay with an intermediate runner, the upper extremity of a section is provided with a loop at, which is open at its lower side, and hence engages over the runner, while the lower end of the adjoining section. is provided with an approximately llOllr zontal terminal hook 5, which engages said runner, and an approximately horizontal loop 6, which extends around the shank or body portion of the lower section, and thence under the runner at the opposite side of said lower section from the terminal hook. Thus the lower extremity of a section of the runner is provided with an approximately horizontal loop through which extends the shank or body portion of the next lower section, said lower section being provided with a loop which engages over the runner between the planes of the sides of the loop on the lower extremity of the upper section, while said upper section bears against or engages the under side of the runner at opposite sides of the plane of the lower section and is provided at its extremity with a hook to prevent displacement. This construction allows the lower of two adjoining sections of the stay to move vertically with freedom without affecting the upper adjoining section or the runner with which the lower extremity of said upper section is engaged, while depression of the upper section carries with it the runner which is engaged by its lower extremity without afiecting the lower section, said loop at the lower end of the upper section forming a guide in which the shank or body portion of the lower section slides.

A further important advantage of the construction above described consists in the fact that the stay may be applied to the runners without the use of pincers or other tools ordinarily required to close the loops or hooks of stays or the sections thereof. With the improved construction each loop or hook which engages a runner is open and requires no closing, those hooks which engage the uppermost runners being held in place by means of the described ties, and the lower section, instead of being provided at its lower extremity with an approximately horizontal loop and contiguous approximately horizontal hook, being provided, as shown in Fig. 1,with a simple hook to engage under the lowermost runner. In other words, the lowermost section of the stay is provided at each end with a simple hook formed in the plane of the body portion of the section to engage the contiguous runner, said lower extremity being held in place by the above-mentioned tiewire 3.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be too resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is l. The combination with fence-runners, of a sectional stay, the contiguous extremities of adjoining upper and lower sections thereof being provided with interlocking loops, the loop of one section being engaged with the contiguous runner, and the loop of the other section terminating in an approximately horizontal hook also engaging the runner, substantially as specified.

2. The combination with fence-runners, of a stay having upper and lower sections arranged at their contiguous ends adjacent to an intermediate runner, the lower section being provided at its upper end with. a downturned open loop, and the lower extremity or the upper section being provided with an approximately horizontal loop engaging the shank or body portion of the lower section and extending under the runner upon oppo site sides of the plane of said shank, said upper section terminating in a hook engaging the runner; substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto ai'fixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARL 1S ()IIMART.

\Vitnesses:

J. D. WooLLEY, D. OHMART. 

